South Asia monsoon floods leave hundreds dead and thousands of homes destroyed

More than 1,200 people have been killed and
hundreds of thousands of homes destroyed in
monsoon floods sweeping across South Asia.
The United Nations estimates that at least 41 million
people have been affected by the flooding in India,
Bangladesh and Nepal.
In Bangladesh alone, the UN estimates that more
than 640,500 homes have been destroyed, and
authorities say at least 106,000 people are in
emergency shelters as a result of the flood.
The monsoon rains have caused problems in
northeast India, Bangladesh and Nepal
The director general of health services in the country
said more than 13,000 cases of waterborne diseases
have been linked to the flooding, including diarrhoea,
skin diseases, acute respiratory infections and eye
infections.
"People are going to be displaced, waterborne
diseases are going to be a problem and food supply
will be a problem," Mark Pierce, the country director
for Save the Children in Bangladesh, told Sky News.
He said the focus for aid agencies would be
providing healthcare, food and money in preparation
for the long-term effects of the disaster.
This year's monsoons have been much worse
than usual
Some 9,000km of roads and 500 bridges have been
damaged in Bangladesh, further complicating the
relief effort.
In India, heavy rains brought Mumbai to a halt on
Tuesday, closing train services, and a hospital was
flooded as high tides threatened the city further.
Doctor Ashutosh Desai said staff were worried about
infections among patients.
"The rain water is circulating rubbish that is now
entering parts of the emergency ward," he said.
The flooding in South Asia has left hundreds of
thousands of people living in shelters
Government officials in the Indian state of Bihar said
that at least 514 people had been killed by flooding
there in the past few days.
Thousands have been sheltered in relief camps as a
result and 17.1 million people have been affected in
the state, prompting Prime Minister Modi to
announce a relief package of $78 million.
Transport infrastructure has been badly damaged
by the flooding
Monsoon rains, which tend to begin at India's
southern tip and sweep upwards across four months,
frequently result in high death tolls.
But this year has proved worse than usual.
The heavy rains come as Hurricane Harvey wreaks
havoc across Texas , and follow disastrous flooding
that killed hundreds in Sierra Leone.

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